Ukrainian trains with helmet honouring fellow athletes killed in war. IOC says it's banned for race

Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych said Tuesday he still wants to compete at the Milan Cortina Olympics wearing a helmet that commemorates athletes from his country who were killed in the war with Russia even though the IOC won't allow it.

The International Olympic Committee offered Heraskevych a chance to compete while wearing a black armband instead, calling it a compromise. The IOC said the helmet — emblazoned with images of about 20 athletes who have been killed since the Russian invasion in 2022 — violates Olympic rule on political statements.

Heraskevych said he doesn't plan to wear the armband.

"We will continue to fight for the right to compete in this helmet," Heraskevych said after his two training runs on Tuesday. "I truly believe that we didn't violate any law and any rules."

He plans to wear the helmet again for the final training runs Wednesday in advance of the heats Thursday.

When asked whether his racer would continue to don the banned helmet on competition, Geraskevych Mykhailo told CBC Sports reporter Rob Pizzo with a wink, "we'll see."

Will Ukrainian skeleton racer still wear his banned helmet in competition?

The IOC wrote to the Ukrainian Olympic Committee that it "was a fundamental principle" that the Games have to be separate from "political, religious and any other type of interference." Ukraine's Olympic committee said the helmet, it believes, is fully compliant with IOC rules since it "does not carry any political slogans, and does not express any racial discrimination."

"What we've tried to do is to address his desires with compassion and understanding," IOC spokesman Mark Adams said Tuesday. "He has expressed himself on social media and in the training and, as you know, we will not